, 1887-02-05

Four Elephants Against ON. Mana
showman's D~aring-The Hot Iron.

Four Elephants Against ON. Mana
Daring-The Hot Iron.
While travelling through the country
with Barnum in 1881" said a veteran
Snowman. II witnessed one of the most
remarkable fights on record. Four Gle
phants against one man. and III the water,
too. In July or August. 1881, our show
struck the pleasant little city of Ottawa,
Ills. You are. doubtless, aware that ele-
plants are extremely fond of bathing.
For some little time before coming to
Ottawa they had been deprived of that
pleasure. No sooner were they unload
ed from the train. however. than their
sharp little eyes caught sight of the river
and the news was trumpeted about i'll
elephant language from one to the other.
They were very FESTIVE all day and be-
trayed great anxiety to battle, and as soon
as the afternoon performance was over
the under keepers marched them to the
river bank | assure you many econds
did not elapse before the whole herd,
tw~enty-three in number, were splashing
and dasling i'll the water ike "a lot of
school boys. Such u strange sight natiir-
ally attracted the attention of the towns
people and the farmers who, with their
families, had driven in to see the show,
and doubt very much whether the river
ut Ottawa ever presented such an mi
mated appearance as on that day,
After n while the keepers shouted
Mile up. which in elephant p~hraseology
means fall in. Nineteen Immediately
swan to shore, but no amount of shout
ing could induce the other four to return.
Men Were sent with rocks to the bridge
and the entire circus force swarmed
along both river banks trying with stones
to turn the huge beasts in the direction OF
the canvas, but all in vain. AS a last re-
source the chief trainer, George Arting-
stall, wa sent for. The poor fellow had
been sick in bed for over a week with
malaria, but on learning of the difficulty
Immediately dressed himself and came to
the bank. Calling each elephant by
name he ordered them to Mile up For
a momen it looked as though his COM
mand would be obeyed, for the elephants.
recognizing his voice, halted and seemed
to waver in their course. Albert, the
oldestand biggest, however, settled the
matter by uttering a loud snort of def
ance. and led by him they once more
started up stream. Seeing at II glance
that he could do nothing on shore. Mr..
-htNhiboehh hiaot tit bitooLiB iODiIf
tent. from which he soon emerged dressed
in tumbler's tights, and, placing the cle-
phant prod or fork between his teeth,
boldly swan GU to the elephants.
Used as we were to strange sights We
yet almost held our breath at this daring
act. When within a few yards of them
Artingstall again shouted mile up but
without effect. Then, seeming to lose
his temper, he sprang upon the back of
the nearest one and commenced using
his fork for all he was worth. Pretty
oon II cry of rage came from the ami
mai, upon which the trainer jumped
from that one to another, repeating the
fork performance until, after at least ten
minutes of fierce fighting and Jumping,
the elephants creed peccavi and swan
tremblingly to the shore. Once there the
keepers o had them under sujection,
but Artingdale, who had displayed such
intrepidity and courage, sank into a dead
faint the moment he touched the shore.
Well, | cant exactly say, but certainly
the menagerie tent smelt of burnt ele-
phant for at least two weeks after
wards. Chicago Tribune.